🏀 GAME PREVIEW: vs. Texas

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Before heading on a two-game road trip, the Kansas women’s basketball team (12-11, 1-11 Big 12) will play host to Texas (15-8, 7-4 Big 12) on Saturday, Feb. 15, inside Allen Fieldhouse at 6 p.m. CT and can be streamed on Bog 12 NOW on ESPN+.

Partnering with LMH Health, Kansas women’s basketball hosts its annual Jayhawks for a Cure pink game on Saturday. The team will be wearing commemorative pink uniforms, while the coaches will wear custom-made Adidas Superstar 50 on the sideline.

Kansas Athletics will donate $1 for every fan in attendance. A silent auction will also be held before the game, where all proceeds will benefit LMH Health and KU Cancer Center.

TIP-OFF

Kansas and Texas will meet for the 40th time in program history on Saturday, Feb. 15, inside Allen Fieldhouse at 6 p.m. The Longhorns lead the all-time series over the Jayhawks, 29-10.

Texas has split its last two games defeating Texas Tech, 81-66, on Feb. 9, and falling to Iowa State at home, 69-51, on Feb. 12. The Longhorns are 6-3 when playing on the road and 8-4 when playing at home.

Merriweather set her KU career-high with 10 points on 5-of-7 (71.4%) shooting from the field as well as a career-high in blocks, finishing with four against TTU in 13 minutes of play.

KU’s bench outscored the TTU’s, 23-15, marking the 18th time this season the Jayhawks’ bench has scored more than its opponents’ bench. Merriweather led the charge off the bench with 10 points followed by sophomore Brooklyn Mitchell (9) and junior Tina Stephens (4).

In the first meeting against Texas on Jan. 22, Thomas led the team with 21 points on 8-of-17 (47.0%) shooting from the field and 4-of-6 from the 3-point line.

SCOUTING THE LONGHORNS

Head coach Karen Aston is in her eighth season at UT and has a record of 180-80 with the Longhorns. Aston has led Texas to six appearances to the NCAA Tournament including three trips to the Sweet 16 and advancing to the Elite Eight once.

The Longhorns are averaging 72.3 points per game on 42.4% shooting from the field and 33.8% from beyond the arc. UT has been winning the battle on the glass averaging 43.3 boards a game and outrebounding its opponents by +8.2 this season.

Leading the Longhorns has been sophomore Charli Collier with an average of 13.6 points per game on 44.7% shooting from the field in addition to grabbing 10.7 rebounds per game. Senior forward Joyner Holmes is not far behind, scoring 12.7 points on 42.2% shooting and pulling down an average of 8.9 rebounds a game.

Texas comes into Allen Fieldhouse with a 15-8 record on the season and the third-best record in the Big 12 Conference at 7-4. This will be the second meeting between KU and UT during the 2019-20 season, with the Longhorns coming out on top in the first match-up, 85-77, inside the Frank Erwin Center on Jan. 22.

LAST TIME OUT

Kansas 72, Texas Tech 89 | Wednesday, Feb. 12; Lubbock, Texas

After a slow start in the first quarter, Kansas went on an 8-0 run with 3:05 remaining in the second quarter starting with senior Mariane De Carvalho grabbing an offensive rebound and laying it back in. De Carvalho followed that possession by getting a defensive rebound then connecting on a 3-pointer from the left-wing.

The run was capped off by freshman Zakiyah Franklin who got a steal and was fouled on the fast break layup where she converted the free throw. Texas Tech would answer the Jayhawks’ run and took a 43-24 lead into halftime. TTU continued to roll in the second half to seal the victory by 17 points.

UP NEXT

The Jayhawks will start the first of back-to-back road games with a match-up against West Virginia on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 4 p.m. CT.